Electrolytic cell.



E. A. ALLEN.

ELEGTROLYTIG CELL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1907.

1,035,133. Patented Aug. 13,1912. 1

wummag #wat www. [176g Z www the cathode and the anode.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

EDWARD A. ALLEN.; OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES F. PRESTON, 0F

' LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. ALLEN, of

,Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements `in Electrolytic Cells, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to electrolytic cells such as are employedin the electrolysis of saline. solutions, and more particularly to cellsof the type in which the anode and the cathode are separated by adiaphragm. In such cells, it has universally been the practice toilnmerse the anode in the electrolyte and to place the cathode on theopposite side of the diaphragm from the anode. In such a cell, when asolution of sodium chlorid is being electrolyzed, the chlorin which isliberated at the anode bubblesup through the electrolyte, and the latterbecomes charged with the gas. It has been universally recognized thatthis presence of the chlorin in the electrolyte is one of the mostdisadvantageous features of such cells and has proved the source ofgreat annoyance, and unnecessary cost and labor, and has prevented thecells from being operated with the greatest etliciency.

I propose, in accordance with my invention, to eliminate the possibilityof chlorin being liberated Within the chamber which contains theelectrolyte, or solution to be electrolyzed, by causing the chlorin tobe liberated at an anodewhich is exterior to said chamber. This may beaccomplished in different ways, although the best embodiment of theinvention known to me consists in confining the electrolyte between twodiaphragms and locating the cathode on the outer face of one diaphragmand the anode on the outer face of the other diaphragm. I preferablyemploy diaphragms of some relatively porous material which will permit acomparatively free percolation of the electrolyte therethrough intoContact with I prefer to employ a. foraminous cathode, which is capablerof retaining in its meshes a sufficient quantity of the electrolyte topermit the passage of the electric current therethrough. The anode Ipreferably form of carbon, such as vAtchison graphite, the face of whichis placed in close proximity with the face of one of the diaphragms. Thecathode and the anode are preferably unimmersed in any liquor, althoughI may employ a suitable oil or other liquid, immiscible with water,

in the cathode and anode compartments of the cell, without departingfrom the present invention. When the current is passed through the cell,the electrolysis takes place, as ordinarily, except that cations andanions are both liberated exteriorly to the chamber which contains theelectrolyte.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure l represents a transversevertical section'of an electrolytic cell embodying the invention. Fig. 2represents a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illustrates thegrooves in the face of the anode.

Before proceeding to describe in detail the cell which I haveillustrated upon the drawings, I desire to have it understood that theinvention is not limited to that particular embodiment thereof, that aWide range of equivalents may be employed for parts shown, and that thephraseology which I have adopted in the specification and in theappended claims is for the purpose of .description and not oflimitation.

The cell illustrated is duplex, in that it is provided with two chambersfor the electrolyte and a cathode and an anode for each body ofelectrolyte.

10 indicates the base or bottom plate of the cell, to which are attachedend Walls of which one is shown at 11. Connecting the upper ends of theend Walls are the side walls 12 12. These parts may be formed of anysuitable material such as slate.

To the sides of the structure are secured rectangular frames 13 13,which for convenience may be made of Wood, hard rubber, slate or anyother suitable material. On the exterior faces of the frame are thediaphragms 14 15, which may be made of asbestos paper, asbestos cloth,or other material suitable for the purpose. I prefer to have thediaphragms sutliciently porous to permitl a comparatively free flow ofthe electrolyte therethrough. The diaphragms, however, may besubstantially impermeable, as in the cells of the Hargreaves type,without departing from the spirit of the invention. Placed against themargins of the diaphragms 15 are metallic frames 16, and these frames,together with the frame 13, are clamped against the bottom, side and endwalls by suitable clamps, such as are illustrated and described in theapplication of myself and Herbert I. Allen, Serial No. 389,824, tiledAug. 23, 1907. The bottom clamps are indicated `at 17 and the upperclamps at 18. The cathodes, whic are indicated at -19,fare placed against e outer faces ofthe diaphragme and f he` margins or edges of saidcathodes are bent outwardly and are clampedv against outwardlyrojectframes 16 by lc amping bars '20 and screws 21. To the flanges of'between the' diaphragms 14, the end walls 11,

the frame are secured plates 22, which, to-

which are grooved as at 26, to permit the? 4 easy escape of chlorin.These grooved facesl are 'placed against the outer faces of the dia-Iphragme 14 and they rest upon suitable blocks or suppo-rts 27 resting onthe base 10.

These anodes may, with convenience, be

constructed substantially as shown and described in the said co-pendingapplication of myself and Herbert I. Allen, hereinbefor'e referred to,although I prefer that the faces -be practically continuous from top tobottom. These anodes are connected with a central stem 28 by connections29, said con- -nections and said stem being preferably made of carbon orothermateral which will not be attacked by the chlorin. The space andthe base 10 constitute what I may term an anode compartment. Thiscompartment isclosed `at thertop by a cover 30, the edges of'whichareinserted in alute 30a. Through the cover extends a conduit 31, asshown in Adotted lines, to carry away the chlorin. The

stem 28 is illustrated as being provided with the mercury cup 32ftoreceive one terminal of the electric circuit, and the metallic frames 16are provided with similar cups 33 -to receive the other terminals.

It will be understood, that near the bottom of the cathode compartments,there are ports for discharging the cationic product and ports near thetop to carry away the hydrogen which is liberated therein. 55

The compartments 24 for the electrolyte are provided with inlet andoutlet ducts which are indicated at 34 and 3-5, so that I am enabled tokeep a constant circulation of saturated solution in said compartments.

{By any suitable means I `provide for increasing the hydrostaticpressure of the electrolyte in the compartment 24 so that I am able tosecure the proper passage of the electrolyte ythrough ,thefdiaphragmswhere yI employ-a permeabl'di'apuhragm. 65 Assuming that the,A electroyte comparte .ment 24 has its proper suppl of saturatedsolution ofsodium chlorid, t e assage of.v

thecurrent from the anode-to At ecathode electrolyzes said solution,caustic soda being `7.0 formed at the cathode, and chlorirr being lib-Y, erated on the surface ofthe anode. The anions and the cations.I areboth liberated ,ex-i. teriorly of the compartment 24,- sothgttliere" isalways a body "of neut-ralliqurin the compartment 24 whichy is free fromchlorin and from the caustic solution, thus preventing the formation ofhypochlorites. 'The caustic" solution iows down the face of thecathode'. and is discharged, and the chlorin i'sK'convso ducted from theanode compartment [as usual. The electrolyte, -which percolates throughthe diaphragm 14, flows down the .faces thereof and down the faces ofthe -anodes to the bottom of the anode compart- .ment and-is, dischargedthroughV a port 36'.y This liquor may be 'treated to remove whatf everchlorin remains in it and maybe reused. v l

Having/thus explained the nature of my said invention, and described away of con- I structing and using the same, although without havlngattempted to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or allof the modes of its use, what I claim is 1. An electrolytic cellcomprising an open sided main body having vend walls, a base and upperside walls, and constituting van anode chamber, frames having spacedopposing porous diaphragms aiiixed 'to the 101 open sides of saidbody,.the walls of each said frame and the diaphragms thereonconstituting an electrolyte compartment, a casing outside the outerdiaphragm on each frame forming a cathode compartment, a 10i cathode ineach cathode compartment confronting the outer diaphragm, and an anodein said cathode chamber having active surfaces confronting and incontact with the inner diaphragms.

2. A Vduplex electrolytic cell, comprising a cell structure having oneach, side two confronting diaphragms forming compartments for theelectrolyte, an intermediate anode compartment, a cathode outside of the11! outer diaphragm on each side, an anode outside of the innerdiaphragm oneach side L in said anode compartment, and a stem connectingsaid anodes, substantially as set forth. 1

In testimony whereof I have atxedmy signature, in the 'presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD A. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

MARCUS B. vMAY, ARTHUR H. BROWN.

